From their first days in office, Dave Ward and Steven Bonkowski, along with two-year council veteran Debbi Lester, executed a plan to fire City Manager Brenda Bauer. The plan was developed and acted upon behind closed doors, without lawful authority. All three denied the existence of any such plan when publicly asked by council colleagues.

The timeline:

January 1, 2012 (Sunday)–Newly elected council members Ward, Bonkowski, Sarah Blossom and Anne Blair take office.

January 5 (Thursday)–Ward calls the offices of Inslee Best and speaks with firm partner Rod Kaseguma about Bauer’s Employment Agreement. “Mrs. Johnson” sends an anonymous email to Bauer, telling her she was about to lose her job and should resign rather than wait to be fired. (more…)